Chair



June 1, 1943. w CAS 2,320,786

CHAIR Filed June 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q azer cg dezu June 1, 1943. w. c. LUCAS CHAIR '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10, 1941 Patented June 1, 1943 UNZTED sr'rss near tries Application June 10, 1941, Serial No. 397,457

3 Claims.

. The present invention relates to chairs and chair seats, and particularly to that type of chair having front posts, relatively tall rear posts, r s or rounds securing all of said posts in fixed relation to each other, slats or back-forming means carried by the upper portion of said rear posts, and a seat extending from the front to the rear posts.

An object of the invention is the provision of an improved seat construction and means for securing the seat in operative position between the front and rear posts of the chair frame.

Another object is to provide a slatted seat, the slats of which are secured together by means normally maintaining the slats in rigid edge-to-edge contact, but capable of permitting the slats to be bowed or curved as a unit laterally when the seat is secured to the chair frame, whereby the slats are bowed downwardly and rearwardly to provide a transversely curved seat.

A further object is the provision of a slatted seat having a plurality of rods passing through aligned openings in the slats and constituting means for securing the slats in edge-to-edge contact as a unit, said rods being of sufizlcient springiness to be bowed out of their normal positions, whereby when the seat is secured to the chair frame, the rods are placed under tension to provide a transversely curved seat.

Another object is to provide a slatted seat in which the slats are arcuate and held together by a plurality of rods capable of lateral distension, whereby when the seat is mounted on the chair frame, the slats and rods will be bowed and form a seat curved both longitudinally and transversely, 5

thereby providing a comfortable posture seat chair.

A further object is the provision of a seat which may also be applied to and used with the wellknown double cane seat chair frame.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will now be more fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective View of the chair with the seat secured in operative position;

Figure 2 is a disassembled view showing the seat positioned above the chair frame prior to being attached to the frame;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective 'view of a modified form of chair and seat;

Figure 5 is a disassembled View of the chair shown in Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, the numeral I0 designates generally a chair comprising a frame I i and a seat I2. The chair frame consists of a pair of front posts I3 and I4, which are adapted to support the front of the seat I2. The frame is also provide-d with a pair of rear posts I5 and It, which are of considerably greater length than the front posts and cooperate with a plurality of slat members I! to form the back of the chair.

The two front posts I3 and I4 are secured together by a plurality of front rounds or rungs I8, while the two back posts I5 and I 6 are connected by a pair of back rounds I9.. In like manner, the front and rear posts I3 and-I5 are connected by side rounds 20, while the posts I4 and I6 are connected by a plurality of side rounds 2| It will be observed that the tops of the front posts I3 and I4 are flattened ed to provide downwardly and inwardly inclined seat supporting elements 22 and 23, respectively. It will also be observed that the top front round 24 and the top rear round 25 are each positioned slightly below the level of the top side rounds 2D, 2!. The reason for providing the flattened elements 22 and 23, and locating the rounds in this position is to assist in maintaining the seat in its longitudinally curved position when attached to the chair frame, as will be hereinafter described in detail. p The chair seat I2 consists of a plurality of arcuate slats 26, which are secured together as a unit in edge-to-edge contact by a pair of front and rear rods or bars 2"! and 28, respectively, passing through aligned front and rear openings in the slats. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the several ends of the rods 21 and 23 are bent downwardly to retain the slats in edge-to-edge contact, before the seat is applied to the chair frame. Furthermore, the rods are substantially straight, so that the seat, before. being applied to the chair frame, is substantially fiat in transverse cross section. I The seat I2, after it is secured in operative position to the chair, is adapted to be curved both I longitudinally and transversely to provide .a scoop seat; that is, one which is curved both longitudinally and transversely. The seat is, of course, preliminarily curved longitudinally by reason of the arcuate slats 26.

' When applyin the seatto the chair frame, the bent ends 29 of the front rod 2'! are preferably driven into their respective posts I3 and I4,-as

clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3, so that the extreme end slats 30 and 3| rest upon the flattened inclined portions 22 and 23, respectively, of the front posts. The downwardly bent end portions 32 of the rear rod 28 are then bent around the rear portions of the top side rounds and 2| as shown in Figure l. Thereafter a screw, or other suitable fastening element 33 is screwed upwardly into the central portion of the front top round 24 and the front center portion of the seat is depressed, so that the center slat contacts with the top front round. Thereafter the screw 33 is screwed into the center slat, so as to maintain the latter in contact with the round 24. It is to be understood that the rods 21 and 28, while sufficiently rigid to normally maintain the slats in edge-to-edge contact as a unit, as shown in Figure 2, nevertheless, have a certain springiness to permit them to be bowed or distended out of their normal straight line positions. Thus, after the screw 33 has been applied to the front top round 24 and the center slat of the seat, the front rod 21 will be bowed downwardly and the slats will also be maintained in a downwardly bowed or curved position.

After the screw 33 has been applied to the chair frame, a second screw or similar fastening element 34 is screwed upwardly into the center portion of the rear top round 25, and the seat is depressed so that the rear portion of the center slat contacts the round 25, whereby the end of the screw is permitted to be embedded in the center slat. By reason of the fact that the rear top round 25 is located slightly below the top side rounds 20 and 2|, the rear rod 28 is slightly bowed downwardly, thus cooperating with the front rodto provide a seat which is curved transversely thereof. In view of the fact that all the slats are slightly arcuate, the combination of these arcuate slats and the transverse bowing of the seat will provide a scoop seat effect; that is, one in which the seat is curved both transversely and longitudinally.

It will be observed that the end slats 30 and 3| are tapered rearwardly and at their extreme rear ends are provided with curved notched portions for the purpose of fitting snugly around the curved portions of the rear posts l5 and I6. Preferably the extreme front ends of all of the slats are slightly curved downwardly to not only improve the appearance of the seat, but to add to the comfort of the occupant.

Referring now to Figures 4, 5, and 6, there is disclosed a modified form of the invention in which the chair frame is substantially the same as that shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and, therefore, the same reference characters will be applied to this modified frame. There is one specific difference in the modified frame, in that the tops of the front posts l3 and M are rounded off, as at 35, instead of being flattened and inclined inwardly and downwardly. It is to be imderstood, however, that the flattening of the tops of the front posts constitutes the preferred form of the invention.

In this modified form of the invention, the seat 31 differs primarily from the seat |2, in that the ends of the rods 38 and 39 terminate directly at the edges of the end slats 40 and 4|. One end of each of these rods is preferably provided with a head 42 and washer 43, while the other end has applied thereto a nut 44, which is preferably bradded or otherwise non-detachably secured to the rod, so as to prevent accidental removal of the nut from the rod. In other words, the seat as made up, consists of a unit comprising the plurality of slats and two or more rods passing through aligned openings in the slats.

Before being applied to the chair frame, the rods 39 and 39 are substantially straight so that the only curvature to the seat is that imparted by the arcuate formation of the slats. In this form of the invention, instead of utilizing the ends of the rods to secure the seat to the chair frame, I rely wholly upon the use of screws connecting the different rounds to the slats of the seat. As in the other form of the invention, a screw 45 is screwed upwardly into the center portion of the top front round 24. The front of the seat is also depressed downwardly so that the front rod 38 is placed under tension and bowed downwardly to bring the center slat 46 into contact with the top front round 24. The end of the screw 45 is thereafter embedded in the center slat 46 to securely maintain the same in contact with the round 24. The end slats of the seats, of course, engage the rounded top portions 36 of the front posts I3 and I4.

As in the other form of the invention, the rear top round, as well as the round 24, is located slightly below the level of the side rounds 20 and 2|, so that the rear end of the seat may be depressed and the rear rod 39 bowed downwardly, thus cooperating with the front rod to provide a seat which is curved transversely thereof. With the rear end of the seat depressed in this manner and the central slat in contact with the center portion of the rear top round 25, a screw 41 is screwed into the center portion of the round 25 and upwardly into the rear portion of the center slat of the seat, thereby cooperating with the front screw 45 to not only secure the seat to the chair frame, but to bow the rods 38 and 39 downwardly and curve the seat transversely thereof. This, together with the arcuate slats, provides a seat similar to that shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 curved both transversely and longitudinally to form a scoop seat.

In order to further secure the seat to the chair frame, a pair of seat screws 48 and 49 are provided which are screwed into the center portions of the top side rounds 20 and 2|, and then into the central portions of the end slats 43 and 4|, respectively. These screws, together with the screws 45 and 41, are sufficient to maintain the rods 38 and 39 under tension and to secure the seat in operative position to the chair frame.

In both forms of the invention the slatted seat may be easily and securely mounted in operative position on the chair frame, and by reason of the springiness of the front and rear rods, the latter may be placed under tension and bowed downwardly, thereby bowing the arcuate slats to provide a seat curved both transversely and longitudinally to form a comfortable chair construction.

It is to be understood that the seat shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6 may be applied to the wellknown double cane seat chair frame and other similar constructions, as well as the one illustrated in the drawings. It is to be' further understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction shown in the drawings, and that the phraseology employed in the specification is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

I claim:

l. A chair having a pair of front posts and a pair of rear posts, a plurality of rounds connecting said posts and including a front top round and side top rounds, aseat comprising a plurality of slats, and means for securing the slats together as a unit in edge to edge contact including a pair of front and rear rods, each rod passing through openings in the slats, the ends of the front rod being bent downwardly and pen etrating into the front posts, with each end slat in contact with its respective front post, the ends of the rear rod each being bent downwardly and around its respective top side round and cooperating with the ends of the front rods to secure the seat to the chair frame.

2. A chair having a pair of front posts and a pair of rear posts, a plurality of rounds connecting said posts and including a front top round, a rear top round and side" top rounds, the ends of said front top round connecting the front posts below the tops of said front posts, a seat comprising a plurality of slats, means for securing the slats together as a unit in edge to edge contact including a pair of front and rear rods, each rod passing through openings in the slats and of sumcient springiness to permit the rods to be bowed, the ends of the front rod being bent downwardly and penetrating into the front posts, with each end slat in contact with its respective front post, the ends of the rear rods each being bent downwardly and around its respective top side round and cooperating with the ends of the front rod/to secure the seat to the chair f ame and fastening elements connecting the top from and rear rounds to a centrally positioned slat of the seat whereby the front and rear rods are placed under tension and the rods and slats are bowed downwardly and inwardly to provide a transversely curved seat.

3. A chair having a pair of front posts and a pair of rear posts, a plurality of rounds connecting said posts and including a front top round, the ends of which connect the front posts below the tops of said front posts, a seat comprising a plurality of slats, means for securing the slats together as a unit in edge to edge contact including a pair of front and rear rods, each rod passing through openings in the slats and normally extending in a straight line but being of sumcient springiness to permit the rod to be bowed, the front bottom portions of the end slats of the seat engaging the tops of the front posts, and means for securing the seat in operative position, including a fastening element connecting the top front round to a centrally positioned slat of the seat, the ends of said front rod being secured to the front posts to place the rod under tension, whereby the rod is bowed downwardly and inwardly to provide a transversely and longitudinally curved seat.

WALTER CLYDE LUCAS. 

